Aircraft armament



Jan. 9, 1940. B. P. JOYCE AIRCRAFT ARMAMENT Filed Nov. 21, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l l/V ENT0B 68mm 2 JbYcE ITTORNEYY Jan. 9,1940. B. P. JOYCE 2,186,026

AIRCRAFT ARMAMENT Filed NOV. 2.. 1934 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ber/41v P JYcE Jan. 9, 1940. B. P. JOYCE AIRCRAFT ARMAMEN'I' Filed Nov. 21, 1934 4 Sheets$heet 3 INVENTOR 5RYAN fidbr'c:

Jan. 9, 1940.

B. P. JOYCE 2,186,026

AIRCRAFT ARMAMENT Filed Nov. 21, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3mm 19mm 5/2 WW I? J'orcs Patented Jan. 9, 1940 Application November 21, 1934, Serial No. 754,150

Claims.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a light compact automatic gun for aircraft which has a maximum of elevation and depression as well as traverse, is capable of being 5 quickly maneuvered, may be quickly and easily reloaded, and will be generally efiicient and desirable.

A gunners basket is provided for mounting in a cockpit to rotate above a vertical axis, a gun is mounted on the rim of said basket and spans said rim, and a gunners seat is provided in said basket at one side of said gun, and further objects are to make novel and convenient provision whereby clips of ammunition may be efiectively held in said basket within easy reach of the gunner, and to provide novel means whereby empty shell cases will be discharged into a receiver in the basket and held therein until emptied.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which may become apparent as description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the general arrangement of parts and showing the gunner in the gunners basket in readiness for action.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation showing more particularly the manner in which the empty shell cases ejected from the 5 gun are deflected into the receiver.

Fig. 4 is a detail rear elevation showing more particularly the deflecting means for the empty shell cases.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view.

40 The specific construction shown in the drawings will be definitely described with the understanding however that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous variations may be made, the disclosure being illustrative rather than limiting.

I provide an annular track 58 to be secured to an aircraft (not shown) around the edge of a cockpit. Partly overlying and partly within and concentric with the track 50, is a ring 5| from which pipes or other structural members 52 project downwardly, the lower ends of said members 52 being connected by other pipes or structural members 53 so that the ring 5| and the various structural members 52, 53 cooperate in forming 55 a gunners basket in-which an adjustable seat 56 may be provided for the gunner. Lugs 58 may project laterally from the upper ends of the structural members 52 to underlie the track 50 and hold the entire gunner's basket against upward movement with respect to said track. 5

Two gun-mounting side frames 59 span the ring 5| and are secured thereto, and the gun I05 is supported on these side frames by trunnions 60 so that said gun may be elevated or depressed as required. A hand wheel GI and suitable means 10 operated-thereby, are shown to eifect elevation and depression of the gun about the trunnions 68.

The hand-wheel 6| is operated by the gunners left hand, and rigid hand grips 61 are shown projecting outwardly from the track 58 to be en- 15 gaged by his right hand, so that by pushing or pulling on these hand grips, the gunner may rotate the entire basket and the gun to traverse the latter, said hand grips 61 being shown only in Fig. 1. 20

A brake 68 may be provided for the basket, operable by means of a cable 18 and a pedal Tl (Fig. 1) mounted in the lower end of the gunner's basket in position to be engaged by the gunner's right foot. A supporting plate 78 may be pro- 25 vided for the left foot as shown in Fig. 1 but when the gun is being operated, this foot engages a firing pedal 19 which is mounted in the gunner's basket and is connected with the lower end of a cable 80, the upper end of this cable being con- 30 nected with gun-firing mechanism.

The gun is of a type to receive the rounds 82 from a clip 83 within a magazine 84, and to rearwardly eject the empty shell cases 85. A receiver 86 is provided for the empty shell cases 85, 35 said receiver being fixedly mounted in the gunners' basket. The gun carries a deflector 87 for properly directing the ejected shell cases into the receiver 86 regardless of the extent to which the gun be elevated or depressed, and said receiver 40 is preferably provided with downwardly yieldable spring-raised doors 88 (Fig. 3) which prevent accidental emptying of the shell cases therefrom when the aircraft is flying at a severe angle or inverted. The front wall 89 of the receiver 86. d5 above the doors 88, (Fig. 3) is mounted for forward yielding as shown at 98 when struck by the rear portion of the gun upon severe elevation of the latter.

A rack 9| is provided for holding a number of 50 the clips 83 carrying the rounds 82, in the gunners basket within convenient reach of his right hand, said rack being preferably mounted on one side of the shell case receiver 86.

At the upper end of the receiver 88, a guard 92 may well extend around the rear portion of the gun for safety, said guard being preferably of such wind resistance as to balance the wind resistance against the front portion of the'gun so that wind pressure will not interfere with easy turning of the gun about its vertical axis.

At the left side of the gun, a sight 98 is shown.

The deflector 81 is preferably carried by the loading tray I60 which is instrumental in loading the rounds 82 into the gun. This deflector is pivoted at I96 between two lugs I91 which project downwardly from the guideways I83 of the loading tray I88. The deflector 81 declines rearwardly from the pivot I96 and its lower end is provided with a roller I98 which is co-operable with a curved track I99 carried by the shield or the like 92, said roller being held against said track by suitable spring devices 208 which connect the lower end of the deflector 81 with the lugs I91. As the gun is elevated or depressed, the roller I98 follows the track I99 and these parts serve to always position the deflector 81 properly to engage and deflect the empty shell cases 85, causing them to properly enter the receiver 88.

I claim:

1. Aircraft armament comprising a gunners basket, a vertically swingable gun mounted thereon, said gun being of a' type to rearwar'dly eject empty shell cases, a receiver for the empty shell cases fixedly mounted in said basket under the rear portion of the gun and supported by said basket independently of said gun, a deflector pivoted to the gun in the rearward path of the ejected shell cases to direct the latter into said receiver, and means for automatically adjusting said deflector to maintain it in operative relation with said gun and receiver as said gun is swung about its transverse axis.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; said deflector adjusting means comprising a cam track on the receiver engaged by a portion of said deflector.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1; said deflector adjusting means comprising a cam track on the receiver engaged by a portion of said deflector, and spring means for holding said portion of said deflector against said cam track.

4. Aircraft armament comprising a gunners basket, a vertically swingable gunmounted thereon, said gun being of a type to rearwardly eject empty shell cases, a receiver fixedly mounted in the basket under the rear portion of the gun, and means for directing empty ejected shell cases from the gun into said receiver, saidreceiver being constructed to retain said empty shell cases until emptied and having a downwardly swingable self-closing trap door through which said empty shell cases enter, said trap door serving to retain the empty shell cases in the receiver when the aircraft flies inverted.

5. Aircraft armament comprising a basket for the gunner having a marginal rim at its upper end, a gun mounted on and spanning said basket rim, a gunners seat secured in said basket at one side of the gun and in such relation therewith that the gunner may occupy said seat while operating said gun, a vertically elongated rack mounted in said basket at said one side of the gun and in such fixed relation with said seat that the gunner may easily reach said rack without leaving said seat or shifting his position thereon, and vertically spaced ammunition clips carried by said vertically elongated rack for use in said gun.

BRYAN P. JOYCE. 

